‘I only sold secrets to the Russians because I was unhappy at work’
An embassy security guard who claims he only sold secrets to the Russians because he was unhappy at work is to face a hearing to decide whether he is telling the truth.
David Smith, 58, sent details about British officials to a Russian military attaché and collected information ‘useful to the Russian state’ when he was working in Berlin.
The Scot was arrested at his home in Potsdam near Berlin last August and was extradited back to the UK from Germany in April.
He was motivated by ‘an extreme hatred of where he works and the United Kingdom in general,’ it is claimed.
Smith appeared at the Old Bailey today (Fri) wearing a blue pullover and claims he should be treated as a ‘disgruntled employee’ rather than a spy.
He has pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 and 1920, committed between May 2020 and August 2021.
The guard denied a ninth count of the same charge. The prosecution have decided not to try Smith on this final count.
Smith does not accept he wanted to undermine the state, as the prosecution claims.
Mr Justice Wall will hold a Newton hearing to decide on the truth of this on 13 February and he will likely be sentenced on 17 February.
He said the hearing would make a ‘significant difference’ to the sentence he would pass.
According to guidelines, Smith could face up to 14 years in prison.
A joint investigation by German and British security services found that he had been selling information to Russia since 2020 after MI5 and their European counterparts trailed him for months.
Smith gathered information about the operation and layout of the Berlin British Embassy and collected material classified at or below ‘Secret’ over those 15 months.
Between October to December 2020, Smith communicated to General Major Sergey Chukhurov, the Russian military attaché based out of the Russian Embassy in Berlin, details about the activities, identities, addresses and telephone numbers of various British civil servants.
On 5 August 2021, the security guard made an unauthorised photocopy of embassy documents, kept SIM card packaging, and made video recordings of CCTV footage of a person known as ‘Dmitry’
The following day, Smith made further recordings of CCTV footage of ‘Dmitry’.
However, he denied leaking information about embassy building repairs on 6 August 2021 which was alleged in the ninth charge against him.
After pleading not guilty to that charge, Smith said: ‘And it was actually 9 August not the 6th.’
Prosecutors have decided not to pursue this charge and there will therefore be no trial in respect of it.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said, when Smith appeared at magistrates’ court: ‘He has expressed, I am told, an extreme hatred of where he works and the United Kingdom in general.
‘He has also expressed a desire to move to Ukraine or Russia.’
The UK government requested his extradition at the end of last year but Smith and his lawyer challenged the case.
The extradition request was granted by the state court of Brandenburg in April.
Smith, originally from Paisley, Scotland, admitted eight and denied one offence under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 and 1920.
